Killing stops at Islington works

Press, 8 November 1984, Page 1

Killing stops at Islington works

Killing at the Islington meat works of Waitaki-N.Z. Refrigerating, Ltd, stopped yesterday when 300 workers walked out after a court case involving Waitaki and the Meat Workers’ Union began in the District Court yesterday morning. The works manager, Mr

Geoff Scobie, said that all three chains at the works stopped just after midday when the workers struck, leaving 3500 stock in the yards. Mr Scobie said that the strike was a result of the court case, in which the Labour Department is prosecuting the union for failing to give three days notice of a strike last May. The union’s counsel, Mr Brian McClelland, Q.C., said in court yesterday that the union’s defence in the case was that the matter had been settled after a meeting between union officials and

Waitaki executives in the office of the Minister of Labour, Mr Rodger, during the Economic Summit Conference in September. The court case was adjourned early yesterday afternoon and will resume this morning. Mr Rodger last evening declined to comment on the case because it is still before the Court. A senior union official is believed to have advised against the strike at Islington yesterday and work is expected to resume there this morning. Court report, page 3